Out of the Shadows
by NDovishaw
Summary: AU some characters OOC. Clary is an orphan who was sold into the slave trade when she was a child. She has been through one abusive owner after the next and has been sold more times than she can count. Jace is a soon-to-be king who is looking for a personal servant. Perplexed by her stubbornness, he chooses Clary. Will sparks fly between the broken peasant and the angelic prince?
1. Meeting

_Okay, so I have been searching for a story like this, but I couldn't find one so I decided to write one myself. :P Go easy on me, I am a little rusty. Anyway the summary pretty much sums it up, at least as much as I wish to reveal so far. Yes, they are still shadowhunters in my story. The rating M is for possible future chapters, and for the most part I was planning on writing Clace but if I get some requests to add in some other couples I can do that as well. There might be some darker themes in this one, so beware of that if you don't like it. Umm... Yeah I think that is it, so enjoy!_

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Clary Fray moved to rub her arms, her hands were clammy and cold against her already goose bump covered arms. Her chains rustled slightly from the movement, the clanging sliced through the eerie silence of the room, making her ears ring. Clary glanced around at the other slaves in the room to see if any of them had woken up, not that she could really see them in the darkness of their cell. The only light came from the little bit of light that slipped from under the door in the daytime.

Currently, there was a soft, pale light underneath so Clary guessed that it was about five or six in the morning. She shivered once more, bringing her legs up to her chest and trying to scrunch up as much as she could to retain some heat. She knew that she should be asleep, but it was colder than usual that night and she just couldn't get comfortable enough on the cement floor. Of course, she should be used to it, she had been sold into slavery early in her life and she had gone from abusive master after master since so her living conditions have always been dreadful. Now here she was again, back at the slave market. Her latest master had given her up because she had always fought against him and he wanted someone more obedient. She never lasted long with any master because her pride always seemed to get her into trouble.

Slowly, her fingers glided across the ice cold metal of the shackles around her wrists and frowned. One day she would run away, one day she would be free. She would keep trying for the rest of her life if she had to. She has been making this promise to herself for several years now, but to no avail. Her eyes drooped slightly and soon enough her body seemed to accept the inevitable cold and finally let her body sink into a deep sleep.

She was awakened within a couple of hours to the all to familiar sound of the keys turning in the rusty lock and the wooden door being swung open and banged against the cellar wall. Clary was alert in seconds, her eyes flying open. She was instantly assaulted by a blind white light that filled the room, obviously it was well into the morning now. Hesitantly, she brought one trembling hand up to shield her eyes as the slave trader walked in with two gentlemen on his heels.

Buyers, she thought to herself as her face fell. As much as she didn't want to bear the thought of going to one more abusive owner, she knew that anything would be better than spending one more day in this filthy cell. She hadn't had a bath in days, her hair and skin was caked in dirt and mud and the slaves were lucky if they got fed more than once a week here. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the other girls slowly woke up as well. They were all women in this cell and they ranged anywhere from a five year old child, to a forty year old women. All of them wore filthy rags of clothes, and each one was as bone thin and malnourished as she was. Some of them cowered away from the strangers, just as afraid as Clary was of being bought while others, quickly tried to smooth out their hair or sit up properly, eager to leave this God forsaken prison.

Her eyes shifted back over to the two men who had both walked into the center of the room and were glancing around. Clary noticed the older man first. He held himself with an air of superiority and judging by his clothing, he was of very high rank. He had short, well groomed hair and sharp brown eyes. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he glared disdainfully around him like we were nothing but human filth. Clary internally groaned at the thought of being bought by this man, he looked just as cruel as some of her previous owners. Her emerald gaze fell on the boy behind him who looked to be a little older than her. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she looked at the boy up and down in awe. He was also obviously very well off because of the high quality of his clothing. He wore all black from head to toe and his stance was strong and proud, if not a bit arrogant. His tight clothing revealed how well-toned his chest and arms were and his face was chiseled and tanned. Moreover, his curly golden locks and piercing amber eyes illuminated by the blinding light behind him truly made him look like an angel surrounded by a golden halo. His eyes also scanned the room but his expression was more of boredom and reluctantly more than anything else.

Clary couldn't help but stare at him, he was truly the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. She could feel her cheeks heating up in reaction to him and she quickly tilted her head down, letting her bright red hair cascade over her shoulders to hide her face. Still, she kept her gaze upwards as she continued to watch them both cautiously. In the back of her mind she felt like she had seen them before but she couldn't quite place it.

The slave trader cleared his throat to break through the thick silence as he came up next to the two men with a greedy grin plastered upon his face. He was a short, stout man with squinty brown eyes and greasy, slicked back hair. "So, just what can I do for you today your majesties?" He asked with a slight bow. Clary's eyes went wide with realization as her answer seemed to smack her right in the face. Of course, this was the ruler of Idris, this was King Robert Lightwood and that must be their adoptive son Prince Jace Wayland. She had heard about him from other slaves, his parents had been king and queen of a neighboring kingdom. He was the soul heir to the thrown but he was too young to take his place as king. Therefore, when his parents were murdered, the Lightwoods, being their closest friends, took the prince and the kingdom under their control until he was ready.

The king smirked at the man and patted Jace on the head fondly. "My son here has just turned seventeen and he will soon need to take over the throne of his country. He has been training and taking lessons everyday, therefore, I think we need to find him a personal slave to tend to his needs at all times." He spoke proudly of him, as if he was his real son.

"Ah I see, excellent idea my lord!" The trader gushed out as he began to motion to some of the girls, praising them and assuring them what good workers they were. Clary continued to watch Jace, tuning out the mindless babble of the king and the trader. He boy looked bored and annoyed as he glanced over the girls in the room, he seemed opposed to his father's idea but he was forced into it nonetheless. Most of the young girls in the room were looking at Jace with hopeful grins, giggling slightly to themselves. It made Clary sick to her stomach. It was true that he was quite handsome but what were they expecting? For a future king to fall in love with a lowly slave girl? No matter how attractive he was, Clary was sure that he would turn out to be just like the rest of her owners.

Jace's eyes turned to her next and her gaze connected with his. She refused to slow weakness or embarassment like the other girls, her green eyes bored into his golden ones, unyielding and strong. His eyes seemed to flicker in amusement as a smirk graced his perfect lips. He took a few steps towards her and she kept her eyes locked on him, challenging him from her position on the floor. His father noticed his movements and turned away from the trader as he came up behind Jace.

Clary could feel his eyes glance over her, judging her like buyers always did. "Interesting hair color on this one, but a little skinny isn't she? Even for a slave I mean." He commented quietly. Jace didn't reply as he continued to stare her down, almost as if he was waiting for her to look away first.

The trader came up between them, breaking the staring battle apart, waving his hands in front of him. "Oh no, no my lords. This one is trouble, I have a much better selection of girls. She always manages to get thrown back here because no one wants her. She is stubborn and a lot of her masters had to whip her to do anything. Now this one over here -" He started off as he motioned to a girl next to Clary.

"I'll take her." Jace spoke up for the first time since entering the room, his words were silky and smooth as they rolled off of his tongue. The trader looked just as taken aback as Clary was. Who would want a slave who didn't obey them? Clary couldn't help but wonder as her eyes reconnected with Jace's.

The trader seemed to hesitate, not quite sure what to say to him when the King spoke up, "Ahem, did you hear my son?" His eyes flashed at him in anger.

The trader winced as if he had been slapped in the face and shakily reached for the ring of keys on his hip. "Of course your highness, as you wish." He mumbled out as he unlocked her cuffs and pulled her up roughly by her bruise and scar covered arm. Clary winced slightly but refused to cry out. She didn't want to show any weakness in the presence of her newest master. She wanted to make sure that he knew he couldn't break he so easily. The trader and the King walked out of the room ahead of them, discussing paperwork and payment as Jace stood in front of Clary, still watching her carefully. His eyes flickered to hers once more as he tilted his chin up and crossed his arms in authority.

"Tell me your name." He demanded.

Clar remained silent for a moment, she knew that she had to be obedient at least until she was out of here and she could find someway to escape from this life of slavery once and for all. "Clary, Clary Fray." She manged to croak out, her voice still dry and harsh from sleeping.

"I see, well from now on Clary, you belong to me." His smirk widened on his face as he turned away from her and followed his father out of the room. Clary internally groaned and followed him out of the room. Just what did this boy have in store for Clary?

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_Okay, so what did you guys think of the first chapter? I know it is a tad bit short and lame but I didn't want to write too much if no one wanted me to continue. The next chapter is already pretty much written, so if you liked it, let me know and I will post it right away! I would just like 4 reviews to let me know that it didn't completely suck and that I should keep going. So let me know, and thanks for reading! ~Nikki~_


	2. A Different Kind of Master

_Wow! It hasn't even been 24 hours since I posted the first chapter and I already got tons of great feedback! You guys are totally amazing, thanks so much. :) Not to mention I asked for 4 reviews and already got 15! So quickly scrambled together the next chapter as promised for you all! Enjoy!_

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It was a bit of a long ride for Clary. She sat in silence in the very plush royal carriage. The king sat across from her, scribbling on some parchments while Jace sat next to her, his amber eyes set firmly out the window and the scenery around them. In his hands he lightly held onto a rope, the other end was wrapped and tied tightly around Clary's thin wrists. She kept her hands fisted on her lap and her eyes cast down at the floor. She couldn't find the words to describe just how nervous she was. She had no idea what to expect from her new owners and the tense silence in the carriage wasn't helping. Ever so slowly, she allowed her back to sink further down into the deep red cushion behind her, trying to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. The soft fabric seemed to have the desired effect and she became all to aware of just how exhausted she truly was. She tried in vain to keep her eyes open but they were so heavy with sleep that eventually she gave in and slipped into a quiet slumber.

"Wake up!" She heard a deep gruff voice pulling her from her dreams. Her body instantly jerked awake, instinctively knowing that disobeying orders brings pain. Her body instantly sat up straight and her wide eyes took in the angry sight of King Robert. He was scowling at her with his arms crossed. The carriage had stopped moving so Clary assumed that they had arrived. "You were not given permission to sleep, Jace you will do well to teach her to only do as she is told." He huffed before standing up and exiting the carriage.

Clary saw Jace nod out of the corner of my eye before he stood and followed him out, tugging on Clary's rope as he did. Clary winced as the ropes rubbed across her sensitive skin and stumbled after him. Her eyes instantly closed as the bright light of day assaulted her senses. She had been sold back to the trader about three months ago and since, she had only seen the little light from the door so the light hurt and burned her eyes which had adjusted to the dark. She squinted a few times, blotchy shapes invading her vision as she tried to open her eyes enough to follow him. As soon as her eyes adjusted they widened in awe at the beautiful sight in front of her. Their castle was huge and the landscape was beautifully covered in flowers and trees. It was the biggest building she had ever seen and the towers seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky above her. She stood there gaping for only a few seconds before she felt another tug on her ropes as she was led forward into the large wooden doors.

The lobby inside was just as magnificent. The whole thing was covered in gold and marble and the building was all covered in elaborate designs with curious shapes. Runes, the word popped into her head. She had almost forgotten that they were Shadowhunters. Shaodowhunters were usually very highly ranked and in this country, this particular family was handed the throne in return for their protection. The humans that occupied the towns looked to them to protect them from demons and other creatures of the night.

Clary wasn't paying much attention as she walked so she didn't notice when Jace stopped. She turned her head just in time for her to stop before she walked right into him. She bit her lip and quickly took a few steps back before he noticed.

"Ah there you are dear." She heard an older woman's voice and carefully peaked around Jace as she saw a woman she recognized as Queen Maryse walking briskly towards them. She had piercing blue eyes that seemed to glitter with joy and long, flowing black hair that floated behind her like silk. She had a young girl at her heels wearing a maid's uniform. The girl looked to be about her age and had light brown skin. Her dark hair fell in curls down to her shoulders and her brown eyes watched Clary hesitantly. "What took you two so long?" The queen asked them with a smile.

The king greeted her with a smirk but he shrugged at her question. "Slim pickings at the trade today. We went through five cells before Jace picked one out Clary here."

Maryse seemed to accept this answer before her eyes turned to Clary. Jace moved out of the way to give her a better view. Clary instantly looked down and clasped her hands together nervously. She could feel her palms sweating under her scrutinizing gaze. "I see..." She trailed off as she circled around Clary. "She is awfully pale and thin, I don't think she will be able to do housework very well. Why this one Jace?" She asked him as she gripped Clary's chin in her hand, forcing her to look up. Clary's eyes flashed dangerously at the queen. She was trying to be obedient but her comments were staring to agitate her. Why did people always talk about her like she wasn't there?

The queen seemed taken aback by the fire in her eyes and took a step back from her, releasing her chin. Jace let out a small chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I liked her confidence." He told him adoptive mother with a shrug.

Maryse looked back and forth between Clary and Jace before letting out a sigh. "That isn't a very desirable trait in a servant my dear." She sighed as she glanced down at Clary's arms and legs. "She seems to have had quite a few beatings in her life though, I am surprised she has any spunk left." She commented as she arched her brow at Clary. Clary frowned and resisted the urge to spit in her face. She had to be careful for now, this was a king and queen after all, they didn't have to trade her back, they could just kill her if they wanted to. "Ah well, she will learn. This is Maia, Clary. She is my personal servant and one of the head servants here. If you are not answering to Jace or any of us, you will be answering to her, understand?"

Clary looked over at Maia and nodded. "Yes," she mumbled out.

"Yes, what?" Maryse hissed at her.

Clary gritted her teeth and felt her nails digging into her palms. "Yes, your majesty." She mumbled out through clenched teeth.

"That's better." The queen replied before walking away, her husband joining her and Maia nodded to Clary before following behind them. As soon as they disappeared into another room Jace let out a deep sigh and turned back to Clary. Slowly, he started to undo the ropes from around her hands. His fingers moved slowly over the knots, being careful not to rub the rope against her already red wrists. Clary watched him with wide eyes, his movements were so... gentle. Her eyes traveled up to his face watching his concentration as he worked to undo the tight knots that the trader had done. She could feel the ropes finally slip off of her wrists but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Jace's perfectly sculpted face. She had heard the legends behind the existence of Shadowhunters, but to be honest she had never believed them, until now. Jace was most definitely an angel, he was too perfect not to be. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she barely noticed when his his golden gaze connected with hers.

His eyebrows raised into two blonde arches and a smirk broke out on his face. "I know I am perfect, you don't need to stare." He scoffed at her, finally breaking her of her reverie.

Clary's face instantly turned beet red as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I wasn't staring!" She retorted angrily, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly.

Jace's eyebrows lowered and knitted together. "Ah so you do have a temper on you, don't you?" He asked and Clary winced slightly in response. Jace noticeably straightened his stance and crossed his arms as well. "Is that any way to speak to your new master?" He threatened, his voice raising a few octaves as one of his hands moved towards her.

Clary's eyes widened in horror and she quickly shut her eyes and flinched away from him, preparing herself for the inevitable punishment she was sure to come.

Jace's eyes widened in realization when he saw this and his stance faltered. He instantly slumped his shoulders slightly, his eyes swimming with pity for the girl before him. "Hey now," His voice was softer now as he brought his hand down to pat her head. She tensed up at the feel of his hand before opening her eyes in surprise at the gentle pressure on her head. She glanced up at Jace who was watching her reaction with a sad smile on his face. "Did you really think that I was going to hit you?" He asked her and she nodded slightly, enchanted by his subtle show of affection. He frowned at her answer and ruffled her hair slightly. Clary mentally wondered if he was disgusted by how dirty and greasy it was.

"Disobedient servants are supposed to be punished aren't they?" Clary replied, her voice cynical and laced with venom.

Jace sighed at her and turned away, walking towards a staircase to his right. "I am not like that you know?" He called after her, motioning for her to follow. "I am only interested in killing demons, I don't see the point in me having a personal slave and I don't see the point in physically hurting others." Clary stayed silent as she followed behind him, not sure whether to trust him or not. On one hand he could be telling the truth, on the other hand he could just be toying with her emotions until she trusted him. Then he would cut her down like all of her masters before him. She had seen it before. She continued to follow him up the stairs and then down a long corridor.

She watched his back as he suddenly stopped and sighed in annoyance. "Listen here," He told her as he whirled on her. She instantly took a few steps back in surprise, flinching once again out of habit. Jace groaned impatiently and softened his tone once more. He really was trying to make her feel comfortable with him, but he didn't want to have to baby his own servant either, what was the point of that. "I don't care if you keep up the slave act around my folks and such, but when it is just you and me, don't walk behind me, it creeps me out okay?"

Clary opened her mouth in surprise at his request. Did he really want her to walk alongside him as his equal? "Y-Yes, sir." She muttered out nervously as she took a few steps forward.

She heard him sigh again and she turned to see him running a hand through his golden curls. "Please, none of this sir or master stuff, just call me Jace." He told her before flashing her his signature grin. "Okay, Clary?"

Clary felt her cheeks heat up from the way her name rolled off of his tongue. Unable to find her voice she simply nodded to him. His grin grew wider, as if he knew what kind of an effect he had on her, before turning and walking away again. Clary let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and then scurried after him. She had to walk very quickly to keep up with his long stride.

They arrived at his room soon enough. He walked right in while Clary hung by the door, a bit hesitant to enter. His room was just as elaborate as the rest of the house. There was a small fireplace surrounded by a couch and chairs and two glass doors that seemed to lead out to a wide, stone balcony. He had a four-poster king-sized bed surrounded by dark blue curtains and one wall was covered entirely in weapons, ones that Clary had never even seen before. The most noticeable thing about his room was just how neat and organized everything was. There was also an open door next to the fireplace and Clary could barely see what she assumed to be a bathroom.

Jace made his way to a door on the opposite wall and opened it before turning back to address Clary. He motioned for her to join him and she quickly made her way over, not wanting to get yelled at again. Once she was next to him he opened the door and her eyes widened in realization. This was her room. "Since you are my personal servant you have to be able to tend to my personal needs at all times, so you will sleep here." He explained but she barely heard him as she slowly step foot into her room. It was nothing too special, just a small single bed, a desk in the corner, a wardrobe that that was filled with her uniforms and some other random clothes that she assumed they had picked out for her, and a few other random pieces of furniture. There was also an open door in her room that led to her own personal bathroom. This was definitely a lot better living conditions than she had ever had. "Is... Is this really mine?" She was almost afraid to ask.

Jace chuckled slightly and ruffled her hair once more. "Of course silly, I just said that." He told her before walking back into his own room. "Take some time to bathe and make yourself look decent and then you will join me for lunch." He ordered her before walking out onto his balcony.

Clary closed her door behind her and took a moment to glance around her new room, grinning to herself. She entered her bathroom which just consisted of a sink, toilet, and tub which was all done in a light pink tile. Happily she started to fill the tub with hot water and stripped off her rags before settling down into the tub, letting the hot water slowly fill up over her body. She sighed in contentment, it had truly been ages since her last hot bath and she couldn't handle how amazing it felt. She winced slightly as the hot water seeped into a fresh cut on her back from the trader's whip a few days ago, but she soon adjusted to the feeling and sank back into the water. "I could get used to this." She muttered to herself, surprised by her own statement. She couldn't get used to this, she couldn't be fooled by all these pretenses. They would try to hurt her just like all of her other masters. She had to get away, the only thing she wanted in the world was her freedom. She would stop at nothing until she had it. And no angelic face was going to prove her otherwise. She sighed and drew her legs up to her chest, letting her eyes slip closed. She tried to hang onto these few moments of relaxation while she could. No doubt she would have a long list of arduous tasks waiting for her after lunch after all. "No matter what, I could never be happy here." She sighed, not even trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

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_So what did everyone feel about this one? Would I be greedy to ask for 5 reviews this time before I post the next chapter? I did get well over the needed amount last time after all. Anyway, sorry it was kinda short again but I wanted to hurry up and post again just to show how much I appreciate all of the wonderful comments I got. And I assure you I will hammer out another chapter asap for you all. Anyway please let me know what you guys think! ~Nikki~_


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